Dame Prue Leith to Discuss Joys of Ageing at Cheltenham Literature Festival

Dame Prue Leith, the 86-year-old restaurateur and cookery writer, is set to participate in a panel discussion titled 'Growing Old Disgracefully' at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on 15 October. The event, held at The Times and Sunday Times Forum in Montpellier Terrace, will also feature authors Gyles Brandreth and Kathy Lette. Leith, a former judge on The Great British Bake Off, aims to challenge negative perceptions of ageing, describing it as 'unstressful' and a time of freedom. She contrasts her current contentment with the stress of her teenage years, noting that old age allows one to stop caring about others' opinions. Leith, who lives in the Cotswolds, expressed her love for Cheltenham and the festival, which she last attended in 2018. She also mentioned her television show 'Prue Leith's Cotswolds Kitchen', filmed at her home, where she enjoys being 'a bossy woman' with her husband's participation. The festival, which began in 1949, is a significant cultural event in the spa town. Leith's appearance follows her departure from The Great British Bake Off in January, and she has been an inspiration to cookery pupils, as noted in a visit in October 2025.